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[FM11] Messi? Nah...

Associazione Calcio Rinascita Messina is an Italian football club based in Messina, Sicily originally founded in 1900. The club has spent most of its history in the lower Italian football leagues. They last competed in Serie B in 2007–08, this following three consecutive seasons in Serie A. On July 2008 Messina were excluded from professional football due to financial issues, being later registered into amateur Serie D, where they are currently playing.

As part of the Big Euro Nation: Small to Big Club Challenge, my alter ego Alessandro Serpente has taken control at Messina, newly promoted to Serie C2/C. The potential at the club is huge, as evidenced by the massive, modern stadium. However, the stadium also has the potential to cripple the club, with upkeep on such a large ground surely impossible with Serie C2 crowds.

You can follow me on Twitter, @SnakeXe, and some of our best/most important goals may end up on my YouTube channel.

The Aims:
(Graded, so I can check them off)

Win promotion to Serie C1

Win the Serie C Cup

Win promotion to Serie B

Win promotion to Serie A

Have an Italy international at the club

Win the Coppa Italia

Win the Europa League

Win the Super Cup

Win Serie A

Have an Italy international come through the youth academy

Win the Supercoppa

Win the Champions League

Win the Club World Championship

Analysis of the squad to come, please let me know any other screenshots you'd like to see. Also, anyone who gets the thread title reference is awesome

The Squad: 2011
GoalkeepersMauro Vigorito - GK - Italy - A new signing this summer, he'll be first choice.Daniele Lorenzini - GK - Italy - Already at the club, started the season in nets due to Vigorito's injury. Looks solid enough.

DefendersDuccio Innocenti - SW/DRC/WBR - Italy - Aging but really quite good fullback. A shame he's not a little better going forward, but that's less important than at this level.John Thomas Adano - DR - Italy - Fantastic name, decent back up to Innocenti on loan.Rosario Licata - D/WB/ML - Italy - One of my best signings over the summer, great attacking fullback, offsetting the defensive stability of Innocenti on the other flank.Damiano Nori - DL - Italy - Very competent backup to Licata.Gonzalo Maulella - DRC - Uruguay - Solid looking centreback. Unusual for a foreigner with no ties to Italy to be playing at this level, but I'll take him.Igot Latte-Yedo - SW/DC - Ivory Coast - Another bizarre nationality to find here, but a great player for the level.Giuseppe Alizzi - DC - Italy - Good back up, if a little poor in the air for a centreback.Dani Verruschi - DLC - Italy - Great athletic centre-back, is back up now but may force his way in.

MidfieldersGuglielmo Vilardo - AMR - Italy - Decent stats for an orthodox winger.Luca Genovese - AMR - Italy - Decent backup for an orthodox winger.Aboubaka Fofana - AML - France - I actually signed him back on CM03/04 when he was a hot prospect, seems he never made it, but nice to see him still in the game nonetheless.Andrea Parachi - AMLC - Italy - A tidy loan as backup for Fofana.Matteo Lombardo - AMRL - Italy - Solid enough backup for both flanks.Davide Carrus - DM/MC - Italy - Another one vying for the title of best summer signing, a great all-rounder for this level.Alessandro Sabatino - DM/MC - Italy - Not great, almost certainly won't renew his contract.Gioacchino Giardina - DM/MC - Italy - Ditto Sabatino.Ighli Vannucchi - AMRC - Italy - An excellent player to inherit, shame he's so long in the tooth.Matteo Della Ventura - MC - Italy - A bit rubbish like the backup DMs, hopefully Vannucchi and Carrus will stay fit.

Sounds good, I'm going to carry on my FM10 save at Merthyr at some point as well. Perhaps as a little break between the end of this one and an attempt at Gundo's, depends how into this game I get I suppose!

Di Napoli is crazy good for the level, the extra quality around the penalty area he gives us is really useful! Artistico is the star so far though, 6 goals from 7 starts, including our very first goal of the month which you can see on my YouTube channel

I'm already enjoying this save quite a lot, top marks to SI, FM11 is excellent

Having put together a pretty good squad over the summer, I was feeling fairly confident about being at the right end of the table, especially having won all four of our friendlies, with a 3-0 demolition of Serie A Livorno the pick of the bunch. Even all that didn't prepare me for what happened - a 12 game winning streak to kick off my FM11 debut!

The final match in the winning streak was a 5-1 annihilation of Serie C1 side Ternana in the Serie C Cup 1st Round, and I have to admit I was feeling a bit complacent about not only this season, but the next as well, as we were so obviously superior to a side in the league above. Things came right back down to earth with the next game, losing 1-0 away to our nearest rivals, Avellino. That match also featured an injury to our top scorer, Mario Artistico, which precipitated a failure to score for three matches.

Another win over Serie C1 opposition in the next round of the Serie C Cup put us back on track, and we settled into a good pattern of results over the next few matches, not quite the early season form, but more the sort of thing I expected before the season started.

Qualifying for the Serie C Cup semi-final from a Third Round group containing two Serie C1 teams was excellent for the club, and we have to believe we can win the trophy now. We're also sitting pretty, four points clear at the top of Serie C2/C, with half of the season gone. Things couldn't really have gone much better!

Story of the Season:Serie C2/C - 2nd, Playoff FinalistsThe league position graph tells its own story, we should have won the league comfortably. Unfortunately we fell apart after losing the Serie C Cup Final and Taranto put together an unbelievable run of 14 wins from their last 15 games to pip us. The team's confidence was shot going into the playoffs, but we somehow got to the second leg of the final at home with a 1-0 lead from the away leg at Avellino. It wasn't to be as we lost 2-0 to shatter our dreams.

Serie C Cup- Runners UpStormed our way to the final, blowing away Serie C1 competition left right and centre. A creditable draw at home in the final first leg against AlbinoLeffe, who were clearly a lot better than us, wasn't enough in the end, as we went down 3-1 away from home. The result probably ruined our season ultimately.

Transfers - £8,500 profit
Free transferred a whole lot of dross, and got a decent £9k for a below-par winger. Broke our transfer record of £0 to sign Nei for £500, who was a decent acquisition.

5 Most Important Players:
5. Ighli Vannucchi - AMRC - Has great quality in the midfield, but probably should have performed a bit better.
4. Duccio Innocenti - SW/DRC/WBR - Good performances at fullback, but getting on a bit.
3. Davide Carrus- DM/MC - Made a good partnership with Vannucchi in the centre. 2. Igor Latte-Yedo - DC - A shame he was so injury prone, our best defender by far though.
1. Mario Artistico - ST - Fantastic free transfer, unfortunately seemed prone to sulking when he wasn't playing well, which contributed to us losing both the Serie C Cup Final and the Playoff Final.

The Squad: 2012
GoalkeepersMauro Vigorito - GK - Italy - Actually didn't play all that often last season because Lorenzini kept about 7 or 8 clean sheets in a row at the start whilst he was injured. Got his place at the end, and will be first choice this season.Daniele Lorenzini - GK - Italy - Great start to last season tailed off, and he's second choice now.

DefendersDuccio Innocenti - SW/DRC/WBR - Italy - Great season last year, will probably keep his place for this year, doubtful whether he'll cope past then due to his advancing years.John Thomas Adamo - DR - Italy - Did alright on loan last year, so I brought him back again.Rosario Licata - D/WB/ML - Italy - Should be a lot better than he is, I'll be trying him in a wing-back role this year to see if that helps.Damiano Nori - DL - Italy - Competent backup, only stayed at the club because we didn't go up though.Gonzalo Maulella - DRC - Uruguay - Still just about first choice, decent player.Igor Latte-Yedo - SW/DC - Ivory Coast - Has dropped in stats quite badly since last season, now a backup.Luca Tedeschi - DC - Italy - Great signing on a free, unbeatable in the air.Alessandro Bassoli - DC - Italy - Signed as a backup, much better than our previous backup though.

MidfieldersGuglielmo Vilardo - AMR - Italy - Did ok last season, lost his place to Genovese more often than not, but we couldn't get the latter back so is now first choice.Matteo Tassi - AMRL - Italy - Backup for Vilardo, signed because he was reasonably good and wanted reasonable wages.Aboubaka Fofana - AML - France - Lost his place to Parachi after injury and never really got it back. Keeps getting injured this season too.Andrea Parachi - AMLC - Italy - Brought him back on loan only for him to get crocked almost immediately.Davide Carrus - DM/MC - Italy - Started the season with an injury, will still be an important player.Alessio Tranchina - DM/MC - Italy - Loanee starts the season in the side due to Carrus' injury, looks good enough.Danilo Varone - DM/MRC - Italy - Brought in to cover injuries, seems alright.Davide Dall'Oglio - MC - Italy - Loanee to cover Vannucchi, promptly tore his calf muscle, prompting Varone's signing.Ighli Vannucchi - AMRC - Italy - Plays some great passes around, possibly should be thinking about a switch to a 3-man midfield if I want to keep playing him.

ForwardsMario Artistico - ST - Italy - Top scorer by a mile last season, keeps moping at the moment so Scorza is keeping him out.Nei - ST - Brazil - Recommended by an agent, liked what I saw so I took him in January last year, very nice player. Our record signing of £500.Enzo Scorza - ST - Uruguay - Like Artistico but better, for the moment anyway. Signed on a free in the summer.Davide Testa - AM/ST - Italy - Replacement for the Di Napoli role, we had him on loan last year, persuaded him to sign when his contract at Palermo expired.

LeaversGiuseppe Alizzi - DC - Italy - Contract expired, no great need to keep him.
Dani Verruschi - DLC - Italy - Made his way into the first team last year, would have brought him back on loan again if I could.Luca Genovese - AMR - Italy - Ditto Verruschi.Matteo Lombardo - AMRL - Italy - Ditto Alizzi.Alessandro Sabatino - DM/MC - Italy - Pretty rubbish really, would have gotten rid earlier if we had any backup for Carrus.
Gioacchino Giardina - DM/MC - Italy - Didn't even make an appearance.Matteo Della Ventura - MC - Italy - Was good enough - not good enough for the contract he was after, however.Arturo Di Napoli - ST - Italy - Really sad to let him go, but he was on £4,200 per week, a ridiculous amount when our whole wage budget is £18k. Antonio Cherillo - ST - Italy - Covered injuries well, but I'm much better stocked in the striking department this year.
Ayube Dine - ST - Morocco - Scored on his debut, got a horrific injury, sent him home.OverallMuch smaller squad than last year, so I'll probably ditch the cups as early as possible to concentrate on promotion. Overall quality is good, and we should be up there again.

Putting the ultimate disappointment of last season behind us was important, and we started well enough in the league, picking up wins at home and on the road (although losing a couple on the road). My plan to ditch the cups and concentrate on promotion worked perfectly, as we exited the Italian Cup and Serie C Cup at the first hurdle, to Serie C1 sides Ternana and Nocerina respectively.

After the penalty loss to Nocerina, we really kicked on in the league, with 7 wins from 8 games to wrest first place from San Marino. The last 3 games before the winter break were a win, loss and a draw, slightly poor, so we're glad of the break I think. Hopefully before the next fixture, against San Marino away from home, we'll get a few more players back to match fitness, and begin the next half of the season strongly.

Comparing to last season, we've played one game less for some reason, and have 3 points less, so roughly the same sort of return. Hopefully the fact that our form has been more uniform this time around means we're more likely to keep it up to the end.

Story of the Season:Serie C2/C - 1st, PromotedFinally got the promotion we deserved last season, storming to a record points total. The difference from last year was we built from the back, conceding far fewer goals than anyone else, always giving ourselves a chance of a result even when playing poorly. Of course, Enzo Scorza wasn't exactly goal-shy himself. If last year's defining result was the 3-1 loss to AlbinoLeffe in the cup final, this year's was the 4-1 demolition of nearest rivals San Marino away from home. From then on, it was ours to lose, and luckily for my nerves, we didn't.C2 Super Cup - 3rd Place
Urgh. The first match was a farce, our keeper broke his arm after 15 minutes, we had two players sent off, they scored 3 absolute flukes (including a 30-yard volley from their centreback ) and we still nearly got something from the game. Played out a draw in the second game - not that we had much option to try and do otherwise with half our team suspended or injured. Gutted we didn't win it, as I don't plan on coming back to get it again.

Serie C Cup- 1st RoundSlightly failed in my attempt to go out at the first hurdle in that we took it to extra time, but we lost on penalties, so it all worked out in the end. Will give it another crack next year as we should be good enough to stay up comfortably enough.

Coppa Italia- 1st Qualifying RoundAlso managed to take this one to extra time, but we successfully shipped 3 goals during that period to bring our non-challenge to an early end.

Transfers - Broke Even
Got rid of some more rubbish, along with (unfortunately) Arturo Di Napoli, whose £4,200 weekly wage was crippling us. On the plus side, his wages freed up the space for us to sign Scorza, Testa, Tedeschi and Amodio, all of whom were key.

5 Most Important Players:
5. Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Joined quite a way into the season, but gave us bite and tenacity in the midfield. Quite why he was still clubless when we got him I don't know!
4. Gonzalo Maulella - DRC - Formed an excellent partnership with new signing Tedeschi to make solid the base of our team.
3. Luca Tedeschi- DC - Outstanding centre-back for the level, don't think he lost a single header. 2. Davide Testa - AM/ST - Di Napoli's replacement put the old guy to shame, scoring and assisting.
1. Enzo Scorza - ST - The reason Artistico only made 3 appearances all season. Is also a bit moody, but crucially still plays well even when he is throwing his toys out of the pram. My big hope for next season.

Next Season:Will be interesting. I probably won't be able to strengthen too much, but with the goals of Scorza (and possibly Artistico if he pulls his finger out), we should be good enough for mid-table. The performances in the Serie C Cup last year certainly suggest so anyway!

The Squad: 2013
GoalkeepersMauro Vigorito - GK - Italy - Won his first team place properly last season, did well enough to keep it this, despite a couple of gaffes (catching the ball behind the line being the biscuit-taker).Vincenzo Re - GK - Italy - Comes in on loan after Lorenzini decided he'd rather play first team football elsewhere, looks good backup.

DefendersDuccio Innocenti - SW/DRC/WBR - Italy - Another great season for the veteran, brought in Cavanda for some younger legs, but he'll probably still play a few games.Luis Pedro Cavanda - DR - Belgium - Offered to me by an agent, he looks a very decent option.Rosario Licata - D/WB/ML - Italy - Still doing alright at fullback, this level is probably his limit though.Matteo Domizzi - DL - Italy - First decent player through the youth setup, he allowed me to lose Nori. Perhaps he'll progress to be better than Licata, but is second choice for now.Gonzalo Maulella - DRC - Uruguay - Really played well last year, under severe pressure from Marino for a first team place though.Antonio Marino - DLC - Italy - Very tidy free transfer, looks a good partner for Tedeschi.Luca Tedeschi - DC - Italy - Untouchable right now as our best centre-half.Alessandro Bassoli - DC - Italy - Still decent backup.

MidfieldersGuglielmo Vilardo - AMR - Italy - Is now probably third choice due to Tassi's good development last season and the signing of Ragusa.Matteo Tassi - AMRL - Italy - A bit of an after-thought as a signing, he's turned out well.Antonino Ragusa - AMR/ST - Italy - The new signing goes straight in as first choice.Andrea Parachi - AMLC - Italy - Signed him permanently after another decent loan spell.Aniello Cutolo - AMRL - Italy - Pacy and good on the ball, very decent winger at the level.Davide Carrus - DM/MC - Italy - Starts this season as he started last, injured. Crucial squad member though.Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Uruguay - A great midseason acquisition, best midfielder at the club.Joao Paulo - DM/MC - Brazil - Offered around by his agent, looks very tidy.Davide Dall'Oglio - MC - Italy - Made the loan permanent after he dovetailed nicely with Amodio at the back end of last season.Juan Pastore - AMC - Argentina - New signing should be first choice, but Dall'Oglio will be on his heels.Ighli Vannucchi - AMRC - Italy - Can't really afford his knackered legs in the first team engine room any more, but seems useful as an advanced playmaker in a 3-man midfield.

ForwardsMario Artistico - ST - Italy - Top scorer in my first season, barely played last due to Scorza being much better and less of a sulk.Nei - ST - Brazil - Good backup for either striking position.Enzo Scorza - ST - Uruguay - Fantastic player, really happy to have signed him. If he can score in Serie C1, we've got a shot.Davide Testa - AM/ST - Italy - Excellent season supporting Scorza last year, let's hope he can keep it up. If I'm honest, he might be a little limited for this level. We'll see.

LeaversDaniele Lorenzini - GK - Italy - Decided he'd rather be first choice elsewhere than backup here, I can understand that.John Thomas Adamo - DR - Italy - Got himself sent off in the farcical Serie C2 Super Cup match, didn't do a lot else.Damiano Nori - DL - Italy - Leaves due to Domizzi coming through, went to another Serie C1 club though so he must be better than I thought.Igor Latte-Yedo - SW/DC - Ivory Coast - Retired after not playing many games last year.Aboubaka Fofana - AML - France - Played well enough but I had a surplus of wingers and he was on big-ish wages.Alessio Tranchina - DM/MC - Italy - Did well as backup to Carrus before Amodio joined. No need to keep him though.Danilo Varone - DM/MRC - Italy - Actually ended up on the right more than central midfield, did quite well actually.OverallQuite a large squad this time, hopefully that'll help us compete in the cups as well as the league. Quality seems reasonable enough, my hunch is a season of consolidation, maybe a meaty cup run somewhere.

Well, despite being up into Serie C1/B, one thing remains the same from last season - out of both cups at the first hurdle. A 2-1 loss against division rivals Latina in the Coppa Italia was a little hard to stomach as it was slap bang in the middle of our preseason. The 2-0 defeat to Triestina, pace makers in C1/A, in the Serie C Cup was a little less painful.

As far as the league goes, we started off quite shakily, with just 2 wins from our first 7 matches. Thankfully, 4 of the remaining 5 were draws, so we stayed comfortably in midtable. The Serie C Cup exit seemed to galvanise us, though, and we stormed to 7 wins from the next 8 matches, the odd one out being a weird 1-0 loss at home to close rivals Andria.

This left just 3 matches left to the winter break, and we were well placed in the playoff spots. 2-0 up at home against bottom of the league San Marino, I thought the run was set to continue, but they battled back to an undeserved 2-2 draw. Next, we were embarassed by fellow playoff challengers Foligno 3-1 away, and I was starting to worry, especially as the last game was away against 2nd placed Crotone.

The players had other ideas though, pulling off a memorable 2-1 win to bunch up the top of the table ahead of a well-earned break! 3rd place, just 3 points off top, is far more than I expected from this season. Hopefully we have the squad to keep up the playoff challenge, although it wouldn't be a tragedy if we didn't, as we certainly don't have any Serie B standard players.

One very positive omen for the future is the signature of this lad, rated as Serie A potential by my best scout. Can't wait to get my hands on him

Just read through this after your [/blatantplug] in my thread, SnakeXe Excellent progress so far despite the dreadful pun in the title Hope Cassano turns out to be a good player, and a little less mental than his namesake Antonio

Story of the Season:Serie C1/B - 5th, Playoff Semi-FinalistsAfter a great start to the season up to the winter break, sitting in 3rd place and just 3 points off top spot, I was pretty optimistic going into the second half of the season. I shouldn't have been. We were rancid. A 3-0 win over title rivals (and eventual winners) Foggia seemed to signal the start of a surge towards glory, but we only won 5 more games all season after that. Despite this, we somehow found ourselves just 2 points off the title with 2 home games to play, everyone seemingly choking simultaneously. Whilst other teams got their act together, Foggia and Crotone winning both their remaining matches, we imploded, losing both in horrendous style. With absolutely no hope of winning the playoffs with the squad in their current state of mind, I organised a morale-boosting friendly against the Under 20s.

We lost. To the Under 20s. 1-0.

I arranged another against bottom-of-Serie-C2 Milazzo, who we beat 2-0, but it was too little too late. We lost the semi-final 3-1 on aggregate to Crotone, who went on to lose 5-3 in the final.

Transfers - £150k Profit
Signed and sold attacking midfielder Juan Pastore for a tidy profit, as well as Nei, who was good, but never really fit into my system. £5k on Diego Cassano was £5k too much, as my scout who'd said he was Serie A potential was taken out behind the stadium and shot.

5 Most Important Players:
5. Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Was alright, not up to last season's quality.
4. Aniello Cutolo - AMRL - Least worst midfielder.
3. Davide Testa- AM/ST - Didn't make the step up at all well, that he's 3rd in this list shows how poor we were. 2. Enzo Scorza - ST - Let me down in a big way when he went missing in the second half of the season.
1. Luca Tedeschi - DC - Even our best player still embarassed us with a red card in the first of those crucial last two games.

Next Season:The weird thing is I'd have taken this season's ultimate result (losing in the playoffs) before we started very gladly. Our form in the second half of the season makes it feel like a massive failure though. Next season's aim, therefore, is to play at least moderately well all season, and not lose in the first round of both cups.

Cheers, it looks much better on paper than it felt to be honest! If we'd had the good results spread across the season I'd have been very happy, it was just the horrendous collapse in the new year that rankled.

I'm considering a tactical reshuffle over the summer, it's pretty plain that teams have discovered that if they shut down Testa (which isn't that hard to be honest), we've got very little attacking threat. Might try and bring in another Di Napoli type to play a trequartista-ish role. Depends who the scouts throw up I guess.

The Squad: 2014
GoalkeepersMauro Vigorito - GK - Italy - Some truly terrible displays interspersed with some adequate ones, but he's still the best we've got.Vincenzo Re - GK - Italy - Did ok on loan, best we could get again this season.

DefendersGianluca Comotto - DR - Italy - The ex-Fiorentina veteran looks a great player for this level despite his age. Good replacement for Innocenti.Luis Pedro Cavanda - DR - Belgium - Did ok last year, probably understudy to Comotto this time around.Rosario Licata - D/WB/ML - Italy - Longest serving player, but had a bit of a terrible year last time. May well lose his place to Domizzi this season.Matteo Domizzi - DL - Italy - The youth product has really developed his game over the past year, pushing Licata hard for a first-team place.Gonzalo Maulella - DRC - Uruguay - Didn't really play very often as Marino and Tedeschi were decent.Antonio Marino - DLC - Italy - Played well enough last year.Luca Tedeschi - DC - Italy - Best player last year, but still not quite infallible.Massimo Tartaglione - DC - Italy - Replacement for Bassoli on loan, not great but the best we could get.

I planned the friendlies a little better around the Coppa Italia start this year, so we actually won our first game in the competition under my management, 3-0 against Serie C2/B side Cavese. Not that we had a massive impact on the competition anyway, losing to Serie B Torino in the 2nd Qualifying Round.

A slightly slow start, with just 3 wins from the first 7 matches wasn't entirely unpromising, as we played well despite the results sometimes. A 4-1 loss to fellow C1/B side Foligno in the Serie C Cup 1st Round wasn't really part of the plan, but it kicked off an 11 game unbeaten run in the league that would take us up to Xmas. 5 draws and 6 wins perhaps isn't title winning form, but it was welcome after the polar opposites of last season. Finishing with a 5-2 demolition of Ternana was a great way to sign off the half-season, though

Surprise story of the season so far has to be Atletico Roma, newly promoted to the division and riding high at the top of the table. However, their form seems to be declining quite seriously, having been 12 points clear at one point, and I don't think they're real title rivals to be honest. For that you have to look just 4 points and one place ahead of us to our conquerors in the playoffs - Crotone.

Like last season, we're in 3rd, within touching distance of the top. I have to feel slightly more confident about our chances of keeping it up though, with our form seemingly less dependent on Scorza's luck/form/mental state. If you put a gun to my head, I'd say we're going to finish in the playoffs, but finishing much stronger than last year - I think the title is just a bridge too far.

Story of the Season:Serie C1/B - 2nd, Playoff WinnersAfter an adequate first half of the season, we were looking to challenge for the title in the new year. We never did manage to get ahead of Crotone, despite winning all but 4 of our last 18 matches. To put this season in context, last season 64 points was enough for the title - this year, that would have put you fourth. Still, a solid 2nd place left us well-placed in the playoffs, and hopefully we could put our previous two disappointments behind us to take promotion.

The first playoff tie was away against Barletta, a decent team who'd signed a number of our cast-offs over the last season or two. To lose to them would have hurt. The match was finely balanced, until their top scorer Godino was sent off for hacking down our fullback! Surely it was our opportunity to put ourselves in a great position. No, we conceded a sloppy goal and couldn't score, a terrible result.

I was still confident about the home leg though, our league record meant we only needed to tie it up on aggregate to go through. A storming drive from Amodio after 8 minutes put me at ease, but they got a goal back soon after. Licata headed in another to put us back on level terms on aggregate 6 minutes later, but straight from the restart they scored again! I was starting to get nervous about our defensive frailty as we had conceded twice from two attacks.

Half time came and went and we still hadn't scored again - then disaster struck. Barletta got a third goal, putting themselves 4-2 up on aggregate with just 25 minutes left to play. Alcalde came up with another crucial goal 5 minutes later though, to put us back in the frame. The minutes ticked past until, with 6 minutes left, Enzo Scorza burst through on goal... surely? YES!!! He stuck it low past the keeper's flailing grasp to put us ahead by the slenderest of margins. Could we hold on? Easily.

That epic comeback got us through to the final, where Sorrento surprisingly were waiting for us, having beaten Atletico Roma. The away leg was a very cagey affair, with chances snatched at by both sides. As the minutes ticked down, a stalemate seemed most likely - until we won a penalty in the 90th minute!

I couldn't watch as January signing Alcalde put the ball on the spot and paced out his run-up.

He rifled it into the net, putting us in a great position for the return match!!

Transfers - £6k Profit
Had wage problems all through this season, as the board decided to reduce the wage budget below last season's despite expecting promotion, so I had to get rid of a few players in order to be able to renew the contracts of some key men. Artistico's departure was a blessing in disguise, as the squad seemed to have more togetherness without his disruptive influence. On the incoming side, Alcalde was a great signing as he contributed some important goals in the second half of the season.

5 Most Important Players:
5. Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Much better this year, in a better team.
4. Luca Tedeschi - DC - Another great season from the centrehalf. 3. Unai- ST - Had a great season supporting Scorza, shame it doesn't look like he'll sign another contract, will be tough to replace. 2. Aniello Cutolo - AMRL - Finally, a winger worthy of the name. 1. Enzo Scorza - ST - A return to form for the main man, I think he appreciated having a few other players contribute to take the load off.History:

Next Season:This great season, a shame we couldn't take the title I felt we deserved, but to finally win through in the playoffs is a great feeling! A great season next year would be to finish comfortably in mid-table, and if the step-up to Serie B is similar to the one to the Championship in England, it'll be a hell of a challenge.

DefendersGianluca Comotto - DR - Italy - Was very solid last year, hopefully his legs are up to one last hurrah at this level.Luis Pedro Cavanda - DR - Belgium - Decent enough backup for Comotto.Rosario Licata - D/WB/ML - Italy - Retained his place in the first team with a good season to help us to promotion. Probably will lose his spot to Del Grosso this year, though.Matteo Domizzi - D/WBL - Italy - Has developed even further, but probably won't ever be first team quality unfortunately.Cristiano Del Grosso - D/WBL - Italy - Looks a very good signing.Antonio Marino - DLC - Italy - Great performances last year, but probably will lose his place.Luca Tedeschi - DC - Italy - A great season from our leader at the back, will face a tough battle with Kiko and Nicolas for a starting spot.Kiko - DC - Spain - Serie A quality centre-half, no idea how we managed to sign him.Nicolas - D/DM/MC - Spain - Serie A potential centre-half, no idea how we managed to sign him.

MidfieldersMatteo Tassi - AMRL - Italy - Still hanging in as a backup player, probably his last year though.Antonino Ragusa - AMR/ST - Italy - Stepped up his game and showed his quality at striker when we had injury problems last year.Diego Farias - AMRLC - Brazil - Looks a great signing, much better than our other wingers.Andrea Parachi - AMLC - Italy - Ditto Tassi.Aniello Cutolo - AMRL - Italy - Had a fantastic season last year but is on the wane, and Ruben is the future.Ruben - AML - Spain - Already looks pretty good, and has great potential.Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Uruguay - Has been one of my best signings, has been first choice from Serie C2 to now.Joao Paulo - DM/MC - Brazil - Played a few decent games last year filling in for Ortiz when he got an injury.Mario Ortiz - DM/MC - Spain - Excellent player, provides a very stern test for opposing midfielders with Amodio.Julio Duque - MC - Spain - Didn't play as much as I thought he would, but still a useful player.

LeaversVincenzo Re - GK - Italy - Was a decent backup, couldn't get him back this year.Gonzalo Maulella - DRC - Uruguay - Kiko and Nicolas meant his days were numbered, great servent though.Massimo Tartaglione - DC - Italy - Didn't play much, wasn't great when he did.Mario Artistico - ST - Italy - Sold him off to free up wages. Glad I did.Davide Testa - AM/ST - Italy - Scored some more important goals last year from the bench, but not really good enough for Serie C1 so definitely nowhere near Serie B.
Unai - ST - Spain - Last year I said if he played well Scorza would score 20 - he did, and he got 21. Really sad to lose him, just wouldn't sign a new contract though.OverallEvolution rather than the revolution we probably needed, but hopefully the togetherness of the squad will make up for the lack in quality. Lower midtable, here we (hopefully) come!

The season started with the Coppa Italia again, and we made short work of Foligno, a side we'd left behind in Serie C1/B, with a 6-0 demolition. Combined with our later entry into the competition, that meant we were guaranteed our best finish in the competition. It wouldn't get any better though, as we lost 2-0 away to Serie B rivals Grosseto in the next round.

This meant that we were starting the campaign having never won a game against a Serie B opponent. Needn't have worried though, as we stormed to a 4-0 home win over Ravenna in our first match. We continued with decent enough form, not pulling up any trees but consistently picking up points. The only dodgy run we had was 3 losses in a row, but with 9 games left until the winter break we had time to turn it around.

4 wins, 4 draws and just 1 loss later, and we were sitting a very respectable 8th for Christmas! Whilst we're doing fantastically right now, I'm still quite concerned, as we're only 6 points above the dangerzone of 18th place and below. We may be closer to the playoffs, but I doubt they're a possibility without some serious strengthening in January.

Story of the Season:Serie B - 12thAll in all a very successful first season in Serie B! We only had a couple of really worrying runs, losing 3 in a row around 10 games in, and then again in the last 3 matches of the season. In between, we picked up most of the points against teams in and around us, with the odd upset against a far better team, and we were unbeaten (a win and a loss) against fierce rivals Reggina - can't really ask for much more.

Looking at the table, we were at the tail end of the group of sides just outside the playoffs, which is an excellent position to push on from. I'm very confident we can push on next year with some smart signings - two of which I've set up already. The playoffs have to be the target, due to the fairly low standard to get into them, but I wouldn't expect us to win them.

Coppa Italia- 3rd Qualifying RoundAnother win-loss record this year, but by virtue of joining the competition a round later, we record our best ever result under my management! Still rubbish though, haven't had a single proper cup run since the first season.

Transfers - Broke Even
Moved a lot of players in and out for no money. Notable players were Unai, who wouldn't sign a new contract, and who scored twice against me in the league this season for new club Cosenza, and my management's most capped player, Licata, who was just out of his depth at this level. Best incoming transfer was probably Diego Farias, a right winger.

5 Most Important Players:
5. Luca Tedeschi - DC - Still our best defender, but only just. Nicolas and Kiko are the future though.
4. Enzo Scorza - ST - Contributed well until I got sick of his tantrums and went to a 1-striker formation, still did damage off the bench though. Supersub might be the best role for him. 3. Ruben- AML - Excellent prospect, scored some important goals too. 2. Diego Farias - AMRLC - Probably empirically our best ever player, could do with the ratings to support that though. 1. Francesc Alcalde - AMLC/ST - Last year's midseason signing was fantastic, scoring nearly a goal per game. Shame his injury problems and indiscipline limited his appearances.History:

Next Season:Amazingly successful season, really happy to have stayed up in quite some comfort! We're not very far from the playoffs, and I think it'll be fairly easy to address the areas we need to improve in order to make them next year. I wouldn't want us to get promoted though, we're very far from a Serie A side right now.
Forza Messina!

Great start to life in Serie B...you are flying up those leagues. Great start to FM11. Enjoying readingabout your save, keep it up

What do the board want next year?

Thanks, yeah it's going much better than I thought it would! The board gave me "Avoid Relegation" as a minimum, so I took that, as I've often had second season syndrome coming into the Championship, so best to anticipate the same here I think.

Originally Posted by JonnyCurrie

Great read so far. Cracking overhead kick. I must have believed for a good while that you didn't actually ever see an animation for an overhead.

Cheers yeah I don't remember ever having one on FM10, so I was pretty excited to see it!

The Squad: 2016
GoalkeepersMauro Vigorito - GK - Italy - Still number 1, just about. Ramon is a real threat to him though, he'll have to play well.Ramon - GK - Spain - First backup goalkeeper I've signed permanently in a couple of years, has the potential to surpass Vigorito.

DefendersLuis Pedro Cavanda - DR - Belgium - Still backup, still capable.Stefano Avogadri - D/WBR - Italy - My new record signing at £80k, fantastic fullback.Cristiano Del Grosso - D/WBL - Italy - Good signing last year, settled quickly. Getting on a bit, so Lopez Gomez will get a few matches.Jose Antonio Lopez Gomez - D/WBL - Spain - Plenty of potential, not far off a first team spot.Antonio Marino - DLC - Italy - 4th choice, but a good 4th choice.Luca Tedeschi - DC - Italy - Just about came out on top in the battle for a starting place, but Nicolas is very close now.Kiko - DC - Spain - Great signing, shame he's hesitant about a new contract because he's very very good.Nicolas - D/DM/MC - Spain - Loads of interest in co-ownership deals for this guy, rejected them all as I want him long-term.

MidfieldersDiego Farias - AMRLC - Brazil - Second best player in terms of performances last year, probably best in terms of stats.Carlos Alvarez - AMRC/ST - Spain - Decent backup for Diego Farias on loan.Ruben - AML - Spain - Good season last year, probably backup for Rossi this time. Good potential.Fausto Rossi - AMLC - Italy - Great free signing, experienced at this level too.Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Uruguay - Perhaps not quite first choice any more, but a vital squad member, and the new captain following Comotto's retirement.Joao Paulo - DM/MC - Brazil - Good player, never first choice though.Mario Ortiz - DM/MC - Spain - Improving even at this stage of his career, will partner Magnanelli.Francesco Magnanelli - DM/MC - Italy - Excellent signing, the right age for this position, and very experienced.Julio Duque - MC - Spain - Same as Joao Paulo really.

ForwardsEnzo Scorza - ST - Uruguay - Sulked again, but still a good squad member. Probably super-sub this year, depending on Alcalde's fitness.Francesc Alcalde - AMLC/ST - Spain - Our best player by quite a way last year, but had far too many problems with injury and suspension.Diego Fabbrini - AMRLC/ST - Italy - Very good backup for Alcalde, slightly different kind of player though.Francisco Alcacer - ST - Spain - Former AC Milan youth player, wanted him on loan for a while but he never wanted to come - jumped at the chance to sign him.LeaversFlavio Lazzeri - GK - Italy - Didn't even play a game.Gianluca Comotto - DR - Italy - Retired, great servant.Rosario Licata - D/WB/ML - Italy - Good player for us, but he was just out of his depth.
Matteo Domizzi - D/WBL - Italy - Not good enough unfortunately, hope he has a good career.Matteo Tassi - AMRL - Italy - Excellent signing for us, value for money, but just not good enough.
Antonino Ragusa - AMR/ST - Italy - Had a good season as backup, but he wanted first-choice wages.Andrea Parachi - AMLC - Italy - Got rid of him to ease the wage bill, not really good enough.
Aniello Cutolo - AMRL - Italy - Too old, not quite good enough, decided to retire when we tried to sell him.Ferdinando Sforzini - ST - Italy - Wasn't great, his first touch for us was an assist, did almost literally nothing else.OverallQuite a large turnover in the squad, but a good proportion of it happened during last season, so hopefully we'll keep the harmony, whilst benefiting from the general improvement in talent. The board allowed me to be pessimistic in saying we'd just survive, but my private aim is the playoffs.

From the first competitive match of the season, a fantastic smash and grab away win against AlbinoLeffe in the Coppa Italia, it was obvious we were going to do much better this season. In the league we were asserting ourselves on matches much more than we did last year, where we'd often play reactive football to sneak a draw or win even against teams around us. Proactive football is much more enjoyable, and to be honest the half-season has really flown past!

In terms of the results, we general deserved something from every game - except 2. Sassuolo and then Livorno away towards the end of the half were really tough, and we got schooled 4-0 and 3-1 respectively. I'm glad we'll have them at home next time around. A few more dropped points here and there are part and parcel of the game, and we can be really proud of where we are right now - 2nd, in an automatic promotion spot!

Still, ever cautious as I am, I upgraded the expectations to merely "Top Half Finish" as I don't want to jinx it. The playoffs are still the private target, and we have a nice buffer of 9 points to the first non-playoff spot. I also changed the system a little this year, moving to a 4-3-3 from our traditional 4-4-2 due to the strength of my midfield and the relative paucity of strikers, due to form and fitness so far. We may move back to 4-4-2 again at some point.

I wasn't going to mention it, but the "P" word has entered my mind. It would, however, be a very difficult season next year if the "P" word were to come to pass!

Story of the Season:Serie B - 2nd, PromotedLast season we'd established ourselves in the division, and this season I expected a slight improvement, perhaps troubling the playoffs. We started out well, picking up points and wins consistently well. By the winter break we'd forced our way into 2nd place in the table - an automatic promotion spot! I was still keeping an eye further down the table, though, and we'd opened up a nice gap between ourselves and the sides outside the playoffs.

I thought we needed more firepower in January, so I brought in young Argentine Abel Petrillo from Racing Club on loan. When we struggled for goals and points for a few games, I decided to revert from the 4-5-1 that had served us well in the opening half of the season to our traditional 4-4-2. Petrillo was given his chance, and my didn't he take it! 11 goals from 11 starts and 1 substitute appearance fired us to promotion with 2 games to spare, including a hattrick in the game that secured the achievement - I had to sign him up. £650k and 45% of profit from next sale is a steep price, but it looks like he's worth it. Take a look at the goal that took us up here - nothing special, a poacher's finish, but it means the world to the club!

We still had a shot at the title with those 2 games left, but we blew it away to Chievo whilst Sassuolo won to take it. They did deserve it, so I'm not too upset. A 1-0 win over huge rivals Reggina put the seal on an unbelievable season a look at the rankings graph showed we proved our worth over the full season.

Coppa Italia- 4th Qualifying RoundA slightly better cup run this year, winning twice before being knocked out by Serie A side Siena. Like when we came into Serie B, we'll start life in Serie A having never won a competitive game against a side in the division under my management.

Transfers - £72k Loss
Plenty of no-hoper youth teamers out, some great quality in though. Fausto Rossi was magnificent on the left wing, Stefano Avogadri, my record signing, was a bargain at £80k, and Francesco Magnanelli was class personified in the middle. Great business this year.

5 Most Important Players:
5. Stefano Avogadri - D/WBR - My record signing, so he had to be good or I'd end up with egg on my face. He didn't let me down!
4. Abel Petrillo - ST - 11 goals in 11 starts is phenomenal, he'd likely be number 1 in this list if he'd been with us all season. Amazing prospect, and will take over from Avogadri as record signing. Not for long though, perhaps! 3. Diego Fabbrini- AMRLC/ST - Big ego, backed it up with performances every so often. Wants far too much money compared to his actual talent to stick around next year. 2. Kiko - DC - Key part of the spine of our team, gutted he refused to even negotiate a new contract and is off back to Spain. That's 2 of our best 5 players we're heading to Serie A without, yay! 1. Francesco Magnanelli - DM/MC - Fantastic signing, real class in the middle of the pitch is a valuable commodity in the lower leagues, and providing his legs hold up he'll be anchoring the effort to stay up next season too.History:

Next Season:Staying up would be an achievement. We're so far behind Serie A teams in terms of quality it's unreal. It doesn't make it any easier that a key member of the spine of my team, Kiko, is off for no money. Signings are essential, but too many and we'll lose the essence of the squad. Our survival will likely be determined this summer, rather than over the course of the season.
Forza Messina!

The Squad: 2017
GoalkeepersMauro Vigorito - GK - Italy - Fought his way back into the number 1 jersey last season after Ramon went postal, will have to do so again against Supino.Lorenzo Supino - GK - Italy - Signed on loan, but he's sufficiently more talented that I'm happy for him to be number 1, even at this young age.

DefendersStefano Avogadri - D/WBR - Italy - High hopes he'll make the step up. Nothing special at this level, but all we need is solid.Cristiano Del Grosso - D/WBL - Italy - Getting on a bit now, probably not athletic enough to be a Serie A fullback, so Lopez Gomez will get his shot.Jose Antonio Lopez Gomez - D/WBL - Spain - Will get thrown in at the deep end this season as Del Grosso won't improve anytime soon. Let's hope he swims.Antonio Marino - DLC - Italy - Probably usurped Tedeschi as 3rd choice now, good on him.Luca Tedeschi - DC - Italy - Still a worthwhile squad member, but just that now.Nicolas - D/DM/MC - Spain - Played well as first choice last season alongside Kiko, hopefully he can resume his form next to Fernandez.Bruno Fernandez - DC - Argentina - Luckily my scouts threw this guy up as a possible replacement for Kiko. He's my top earner on £8,500 per week, and cost me a hefty £675k. Let's hope he's up to it.Emanuele Terranova SW/DRC - Italy - As backup for both right back and centreback he'll probably have a busy season.

MidfieldersDiego Farias - AMRLC - Brazil - Pretty bad injury robs us of him at the start of this season.Clement Copin - AMRC/ST - France - Fantastic prospect, I have an agreement to buy him for £3.8m if I wish - I may well take it.Ruben - AML - Spain - Looks good for backup still.Fausto Rossi - AMLC - Italy - Played excellently last year, doesn't quite look to have the stats to make an impact in Serie A but I'd love to be proved wrong.Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Uruguay - Maybe not first choice in a 2 man midfield, but in the 3 man midfield I'm using this year he's excellent.Mario Ortiz - DM/MC - Spain - Probably the first amongst backups when everyone is fit, but he's a good player to have.Francesco Magnanelli - DM/MC - Italy - Our best player last year, if he can continue anything like that form we've got a shot.Cristian Ledesma - DM/MC - Argentina - The ex-Lazio man is getting on a bit now, but hopefully his experience and cultured right foot will be of use for a year or two yet.Patxi Rodriguez - DM/MC - Spain - My record signing to date at £1.6m, I'm hoping his young legs will compensate for the other golden oldies in the middle. Excellent prospect to boot.Julio Duque - MC - Spain - Submitted a transfer request but noone wants him. Including me. Never really progressed.Juha-Matti Rautiainen - M/AMC - Finland - Bargain at £35k from Haka, he should develop into a good Serie A player. Another one to provide legs for the old men.

ForwardsEnzo Scorza - ST - Uruguay - He's still here, didn't contribute very much last year so it's hard to see him making a huge impact in Serie A. Only 3rd choice though so he won't get much game time with a 1-man attack my system of choice.Francesc Alcalde - AMLC/ST - Spain - Injuries in the last couple of years have really taken their toll on him. Shame, as he was really quite special. Will be used on the left mostly I think.Diego Fabbrini - AMRLC/ST - Italy - Well despite thinking he wouldn't sign a (reasonably priced) new contract, he did, one day before the old one ran out. Useful, versatile player.Abel Petrillo - ST - Argentina - Signed him on loan in January last year, 11 games and 11 goals later I made it permanent. Hugely exciting prospect.Pietro Belfiore - ST - Italy - Another prospect, this one signed from Parma. Should provide good backup for Petrillo.LeaversRamon - GK - Spain - Blew a fuse when I rejected a co-ownership offer for him, so I chucked him out of the first team, and on the first bus out of Messina.Kiko - DC - Spain - Excellent player, would have been with us for years to come. Didn't want a new contract though.Joao Paulo - DM/MC - Brazil - Excellent professional, never complained when he was out of the team, don't begrudge him the move for (hopefully) first team football.
Francisco Alcacer - ST - Spain - Did well for us for a bit then got injured. Wouldn't have gotten a look-in with Petrillo and Belfiore ahead of him, so decided to let him move on.OverallProbably fewer improvements than I would have liked, but we've strengthened the spine of the team - goalkeeper, central defence, central midfield and striker are all strong positions for us now. Hopefully this is the recipe for survival.

After a fantastic start, beating former parent club Napoli away from home on the opening day, we added another win 3 games later against relegation rivals Lecce. That would be the last game we won all year, gaining only three draws and losing the rest of the matches. Our defence is simply not up to the task at this level, despite the additions I made over the summer.

We often grab a goal and dominate the play, only to go down 2 or 3-1 because of own-goals, ridiculous mistakes, or thunderbolts from 30-40 yards out. I've set up some friendlies against non-league teams over the winter break to try and rebuild our shattered conference, but you have to say that it doesn't look like we've got an ice-cube's chance in hell of staying up right now. It's going to be a long 2018.

Story of the Season:Serie A - 20th, RelegatedAfter 2 wins from the opening 4 games we were utterly rancid nearly all season. The few highlights included a point away to Roma, a 3-1 demolition of Inter, and the 2-0 opening day win away at Napoli. The many lowlights included losing 4-0 away to fellow relegatees Sassuolo, smashing the record for number of goals conceded, and dropping to bottom on the last day as Inter avenged the earlier result to win 2-0 at San Siro.

5 Most Important Players:
5. Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Didn't play particularly well, but as we're letting him go at the end of the season, I thought I'd give the captain one last nod, as he's played and scored for us at every level.
4. Patxi Rodriguez - DM/MC - New record signing, did well in the opening few games but the rubbishness of the team dragged him down after that. 3. Diego Fabbrini- AMRLC/ST - Scored a few goals from the right wing, didn't really make too many huge mistakes. 2. Clement Copin - AMRC/ST - Good player, shame we won't be able to make his transfer permanent due to the relegation. 1. Abel Petrillo - ST - Our one player who looked at home at this level. Luckily I've got him tied to a 3-year deal, so he'll be around to fire us back up to Serie A next year.History:

Next Season:I said staying up would be an achievement, and it certainly would have been. The target for next season is to not only regain our place amongst the elite, but build a decent enough squad to have a better shot of surviving when we get there.
Forza Messina!

DefendersStefano Avogadri - D/WBR - Italy - Didn't do great in Serie A, should be fine at this level.Mogi - DRC - Brazil - Signed in January last year, had a rough time in a bad team, hopefully he'll find his feet in Serie B.Jose Antonio Lopez Gomez - D/WBL - Spain - Another one who had a bad time in Serie A, will be second choice behind Grimi.Leandro Grimi - DL - Argentina - Should be a lot better than what we had, getting on a bit though.Antonio Marino - DLC - Italy - Still around, decent backup.Nicolas - D/DM/MC - Spain - Decent prospect still, needs to step it up and realise some of that soon.Bruno Fernandez - DC - Argentina - Last season I said I hoped he was up to the task of replacing Kiko. He wasn't. Another one who I hope will find his feet in Serie B.Emanuele Terranova SW/DRC - Italy - Decent backup, nothing better.

MidfieldersDiego Farias - AMRLC - Brazil - An injury to him early on last season didn't help us much, but he didn't really pull up any trees when he came back either.Filippo Vitone - AMRC - Italy - Great looking prospect signed from Roma.Ruben - AML - Spain - I'll probably sell him if we go up again, as he was really awful in Serie A.Fausto Rossi - AML - Italy - Didn't make the step up, definitely a Serie B player. Not that that matters this year!Mario Ortiz - DM/MC - Spain - Probably the first amongst backups when everyone is fit, but he's a good player to have.Francesco Magnanelli - DM/MC - Italy - Another one who didn't step up, but I can forgive him as he's getting on.Cristian Ledesma - DM/MC - Argentina - Didn't play that well, scored a cracking free kick in one game we ended up losing about 4 or 5-1 I seem to remember. Backup.Patxi Rodriguez - DM/MC - Spain - Getting better, needs more help from the old heads around him.Juha-Matti Rautiainen - MC - Finland - Didn't play too many games last year, probably won't this year either, he's decent backup though.Victor Amoruso - MC - Argentina - Great prospect signed at much expense from Estudiantes, definitely part of our future.Ederson - AMLC - Brazil - The ex-Lyon man is getting on now, but he's pure quality, hopefully he'll bring on the likes of Amoruso.

ForwardsFrancesc Alcalde - AMLC/ST - Spain - Renewed his contract once it was obvious we were going down, he'll be gone once we're up.Abel Petrillo - ST - Argentina - Our one bright spark last year, we've got him for at least 3 more years.Pietro Belfiore - ST - Italy - Did okay as Petrillo's back up, should be able to trust him more at this level.LeaversLorenzo Supino - GK - Italy - Did ok for a while then completely lost his confidence.Cristiano Del Grosso - D/WBL - Italy - Retired.Luca Tedeschi - DC - Italy - Not good enough for a team that has aspirations to stay up in Serie A.Clement Copin - AMRC/ST - France - Did pretty well, despite a penchant for red cards, but going down means we couldn't afford to bring him in permanently.Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Uruguay - Great servant but he was far too old.Julio Duque - MC - Spain - Ran his contract down and left, meh.Enzo Scorza - ST - Uruguay - Made one substitute appearance, shame he finished as such a damp squib after his earlier fireworks.Diego Fabbrini - AMRLC/ST - Italy - Did well for us, but we don't really need him, cashed in.OverallShould be more than enough to take us back up to Serie A, and a hell of a lot closer than last season's squad to keeping us there too. Fingers crossed!

After last season's relegation, I was pretty sure I'd actually improved the squad over the one that had failed to keep us up, and we started off in ominous form, picking up 1-0 after 1-0. Eventually our luck changed though, and we started to drop a few silly points. By my reckoning we've thrown away 6 points this year already to goals scored after the minimum allocation of stoppage time has expired.

Still, we were pootling along at or around the top of the league, until the last 3 games of 2018. We were missing both Belfiore and Petrillo to injury, meaning Alcalde was in. Despite hammering each of the 3 teams, we could only come away with 2 points, mostly because of Alcalde's fun new habit of spooning almost every chance he got high, wide and handsome. The fact that he still got 2 goals in those 3 games shows just how ridiculously dominant we were. This brilliant little run meant we ended 2018 4 points off the automatic promotion places, not exactly where we wanted to be. Hopefully after the winter break with Petrillo and Belfiore back we'll do a bit better.

I'm considering buying a striker in January if I can find a suitable one, as Alcalde has really irritated me after those 3 matches. Other than that, the squad is excellent, and I can have no complaints.

Excellent work and a really enjoyable read. Your season at the top reminded me of my current game with Swansea. I was promoted via the play-offs, and as most of my squad was at their peak with their value the highest it would ever likely be, I sold off quite a number and brought in promising youngsters. Unfortunately they weren't ready for it, and we were relegated with just 4 wins and 2 draws all season. I dropped back down expecting to bounce straight back, but had another disappointing year and ended up mid-table. Now into my fourth season, I finally think I'm going back up with a group good enough to survive there.

Shame about Serie A, but it wasn't as if you weren't expecting it. It wouldn't be FM without a few setbacks! Hopefully the second half of this season picks up and you're back where you belong next year!

Just wait til you get to the business end of the season, that's when your boys will turn it on...hopefully anyways!

Let's hope so! We still seem to have the annoying habit of conceding really really ridiculously late equalisers at the moment.

Originally Posted by JonesMathew

Excellent work and a really enjoyable read. Your season at the top reminded me of my current game with Swansea. I was promoted via the play-offs, and as most of my squad was at their peak with their value the highest it would ever likely be, I sold off quite a number and brought in promising youngsters. Unfortunately they weren't ready for it, and we were relegated with just 4 wins and 2 draws all season. I dropped back down expecting to bounce straight back, but had another disappointing year and ended up mid-table. Now into my fourth season, I finally think I'm going back up with a group good enough to survive there.

Yeah, the way I look at it is it doesn't matter whether we're in Serie A or Serie B at the moment, so long as I keep improving the squad year on year we'll eventually establish ourselves. If we do go up, I think this summer is very important!

Originally Posted by EdSB

Shame about Serie A, but it wasn't as if you weren't expecting it. It wouldn't be FM without a few setbacks! Hopefully the second half of this season picks up and you're back where you belong next year!

Yeah at least we weren't clinging on by our fingertips and then finally lost out on the last day or something, that'd be much worse!

Originally Posted by RichG

Tough luck on getting relegated mate.

I also found the jump to Serie A massive on my Italian Legacy career. was 17th 2 season on the trot and had the worst defence in the league lol.

Invest in the club and raid the Italian u18 and 19 teams for the stars. Focus on young players.

Haha, I'd definitely take 17th 2 seasons on the trot if we go up! I've tried to bring in players who will improve over time, so even without significant investment we'll keep getting better. Which is good, because we don't seem likely to get any significant investment coming in!

Story of the Season:Serie B - 2nd, PromotedWith a squad even better than that which was relegated from Serie A last year, I had high hopes of bouncing back in style. As it turned out, it was a little harder than that. Since we were now one of the favourites to be promoted, predicted 4th this time, rather than 19th last time we were in the division, teams set out much more defensively against us. This led to a lot of games where we'd either be unable to break the opposition down, or they'd sneak a lead and hang onto it for dear life.

This shows up on the league table - the shear number of draws we had is astounding. I don't think we were outplayed in one single game this season, even against title-winning Vicenza, but we were just rubbish at putting games to bed. Still, we're up again, with 2 games to spare, and in much better condition to stay up than we were before. Whether we're better enough - I guess we'll find out.

Coppa Italia- 3rd Qualifying RoundStuffed a C1 side, played my reserves against Serie B Triestina in the next round and lost on penalties.

Transfers - £3.4m Loss
Was surprisingly actually given more cash to splash than we were given in Serie A, and I took advantage, bringing in two players who would finish the season in the Italy Under 21 squad - Victor Amoruso and Filippo Vitone. The free transfers weren't too shabby either. Shipped out a lot of dead wood to reduce the wage bill as well.

5 Most Important Players:
5. Pietro Belfiore - ST - Scored some crucial goals from the bench and when Petrillo was out, a real luxury to have a backup player of his calibre.
4. Filippo Vitone - AMRC - Fantastic prospect signed from Roma - shame he keeps getting his morale shot down due to being targeted in the press. 3. Bruno Fernandez- DC - Found his feet after a shaky season in Serie A, hopefully the experience will stand him in good stead. 2. Abel Petrillo - ST - Top goalscorer for the second year running, as well as scoring the Serie B goal of the season. Cracking player. 1. Fausto Rossi - AML - Despite some injuries, Rossi was truly unplayable at times this season. May be worth another crack in Serie A afterall.History:

Next Season:I would rip your hand off if you offered me 17th place right now. We're in considerably better shape than we were last time we came up, so hopefully we'll make a better fist of it this time. Some good signings at the back and in midfield and we may have a shot.
Forza Messina!

The Squad: 2019
GoalkeepersMauro Vigorito - GK - Italy - Only played once last season, sort-of-solid backup, Ravaglia is miles ahead though.Nicola Ravaglia - GK - Italy - The biggest difference between the previous attempt to stay in Serie A - a competent goalkeeper.

DefendersStefano Avogadri - D/WBR - Italy - Getting on a bit, reasonable backup for Mogi.Mogi - DRC - Brazil - Did much better in Serie B, hopefully as part of a better team he'll find life in Serie A slightly easier this time round.Jose Antonio Lopez Gomez - D/WBL - Spain - Third choice now, but might be useful in games against nippy wingers as he's pacier than Grimi and Turon.Leandro Grimi - DL - Argentina - Was decent in Serie B, probably too old for Serie A.Justin Turon - D/WBRL - France - Brought in to be first choice, looks pretty solid.Antonio Marino - DLC - Italy - Renewed his contract again, useful guy to have around.Nicolas - D/DM/MC - Spain - Had a great season alongside Fernandez in Serie B, still don't think he's really Serie A quality.Bruno Fernandez - DC - Argentina - Was the Fan's Player of the Season in Serie B after his torrid time in Serie A, very hopeful he'll do better this time.Emanuele Terranova - SW/DRC - Italy - Good backup.Rene Kooiman - DC - Holland - First fruits of the board's linking us with Ajax, looks a very nice player.

MidfieldersFilippo Vitone - AMRC - Italy - Had an excellent season in Serie B, hopefully he'll make the step up.Adem Ljajic - AMRLC - Serbia - Fantastic free signing, bags of experience at the level, should improve us markedly.Fausto Rossi - AML - Italy - Had a fantastic season in Serie B, don't think he's up to Serie A still, but he'll get the odd chance.Damian Ismodes - AMRL - Peru - Experienced left winger to balance out Ljajic on the right.Mario Ortiz - DM/MC - Spain - Like Marino, good player to have around.Patxi Rodriguez - DM/MC - Spain - His athleticism makes him very useful at the base of our midfield.Mario Quiroga - DM/MC - Argentina - Another great prospect from South America.Juha-Matti Rautiainen - MC - Finland - His pace makes him a very useful substitute to keep things busy late on.Victor Amoruso - MC - Italy - Decided to take up his Italian dual nationality to play for Italy Under 21s, brilliant prospect.Ederson - AMLC - Brazil - Didn't quite have the impact I was expecting, but his experience and pure technical ability are a great asset.

ForwardsFrancesc Alcalde - AMLC/ST - Spain - Really irritated me last year with his profligacy, probably won't get much of a look in this time around.Abel Petrillo - ST - Italy - Did alright last season, was expecting better though. Hopefully he'll come up with another 15 goal haul in Serie A though. Also decided to pursue his Italian national interests.Pietro Belfiore - ST - Italy - Excellent backup for Petrillo, has more of a physical presence.Welliton - AM/ST - Brazil - Experienced campaigner, his legs are definitely going but the talent is still there.LeaversDiego Farias - AMRLC - Brazil - Sold him off for £100k, gets injured far too often.Ruben - AML - Spain - Just not quite good enough.Francesco Magnanelli - DM/MC - Italy - Retired.
Cristian Ledesma - DM/MC - Argentina - Retired.OverallThis squad looks significantly superior to anything we've had before. I'd definitely expect a better return in terms of points, whether it'll be enough to keep us up really depends on the opposition.

Just noticed I had a guy called Hulk through the youth academy this season. I know the guy who plays for Porto is nicknamed this because he's a bit of a beast physically. Guess what my Hulk's Strength stat is? 1.